TIMARU BOROUGH COUNCIL.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2664, 4 October 1881, Page 2

TIMARU BOROUGH COUNCIL.

A special nice*mg of the Tiniuru Borough Council was held hum evening. Present —I Lis V orship the. Mayer, and Councillors Jackson, Cullman. Shepherd; 'Dilutes, Bosh,' Gibson. Hoes, =uul I ihmm. AV.TU, '• oai.i- ' , The jlr.ises of the now by-law vvcic read .ml considered one by one. the r upon which ary discussion look p!:w:. Id. the following • 'J.i.j •::-;!in.-..j :i domestic suppi■ was (won gr.i.om- net hc*vi ye: day. The drnfl by-m.v, ecu'.".mod wutci. clorvt snpndco in ih.o anuuu t .'J mof siippi;:';! to do considered !'c:cdao-di-nary.' 1 and t be' epooi. lly charged but ah reference to waler-oloseD was struck out. as i ;e sewerage or the town is not suited to their use. and it was considered that if it charge for venn .• imply were U.MV.od in t;:c by-law pm,- •m 'd ch’im v.c use them. Sams dhxua.jrn loci: pbc: on c charge lo be made u; butchers’ amt bakers’ sir;pa, but ultimately it was unanimously agreed that wherever such 5in.,..-: were unattached to residences a charge stu-Jd ha made, while where the shopkeeper resided on the same premises, no charge beyond that for ordinary domestic supply should be made. On the clause relating to supplying water outside the Borough, a good deal of discussion took place, some speaking in favor of making such supply depend upon a special agreement with the Council ; others in. favor of a similar rate to that raised within the Borough, to bo founded on a valuation made by the Borough valuator, but increased by live per cent. The latter alternative was agreed to; the furnishing of any supply, however, to be optional with the Council. It was decided to demand a fee of five shillings on each application for such supplies, the fee to bo forfeited should the applicant refuse to take the water after the valuation above-mentioned had been made.

There were .several clauses relating to plumbers, and the conditions on which they were to be allowed to deal with the water pipes. These were simplified on the motion, of Councillor Gibson that the Council should make the connection of the house service pipes with the mains and cany the pipes to the boundaries of the properties and place stop cocks upon them ; the extension of the service within a section would then he at the risk and expense of the occupier or' owner, so that the plumber’s work would bo but little likely to do any r damage to the Waterworks proper. This decision rendered unnecessary the demanding of a deposit as a security against the consequences of bungling ; but an annual license fee of a guinea will be required from persons who desire to undertake suck work.

The charge fur water for manufacturers’ uses was reduced from Is 3d to Is per thousand gallons. The charge for water for cows, 5s a year each, was moved to be struck out, but was retained on the ground that cows are a nuisance in the Borough, and no encouragement should be hold out to Iceep them: The clause relating to the prevention of person« who ought to apply for a private supph taking water from another person's supply was made more stringent, and so as to include public supplies (as watering troughs, Ac.) among sources prohibited to private consumers.

Cr Bush proposed that the prepayment of tim water rate should bo for three month.-: only, and not six, as it would bo hard on pi.or people to pay six months in advance, it was pointed out that the the collection of the rate over} quarter would entail double labor, and also that the the amount to be paid by working men would not be more than j.Os at a tinio, and it was usual in ether places to require cix-monthly payments. ft was resolved to send the by-law back to the solicitor for technical correction, and to hold a special meeting on November 7, to adopt the by-law. watjui-uack k. A letter was read from Mr James King offering to lease the surplus of the water race reserve where it mips through Ids block (a length of aboutH miles, and about d. : , chains wide), and the Mayor proposed that the engineer should be authorised to survey the land to ascertain the quantity that could be disposed of. Cr Gibson said lie would preler to have sonic definite arrangement made, either to sell or lease iVr a long tpnn before die expense of survey was incurred ; otherwise the outlay might be wasted through the negotiations falling through. The land could only be disposed' of either on lease or sale by tender or auction, and jt v/oiil'4 be bojdcr to call fdf- tenders for an approximate area before going to the expense of survey. Cr Gibson’s suggestion was adopted, and it was resolved to call for alternative tenders for the lease or purchase of the surplus ’and, where the lace runs through Mr jving’s block, and also in another piece or IWG. •T!ti;l!T niCitrilX'.. Correspondence between the Mayor,on behalf of ihc Council, and die Chairman of the Gas Company, rr lighting the street lamps was read. The Gas Company wrote, refusing to accept the Council’s offer of i;y Jos per lotnn oev annum ■ tmdr terms bad been 1.,;.:' hcfvWi dm Courmil x tb r; loot sv.ee ting viv.-oM pm annum, if biunirnr broni cun.sol to rnuirngbr, rr r 1 ';: v burning till I a.m. r-.imuld be roaorlvd to. A. saving of .'G’b

Cr. Cullman thought that the town had advanced too far to go back to kerosene lamps now. Cr. Shepherd moved and Cr. Cullman seconded that theofl’cr of (he Gas Company, at £8 per lamp be accepted. Cr. Jackson spoke against the motion. He would he sorry to go back to kero sene, or to go without light ; but at the same time lie did not like the idea of the Gas Company entertaining the notion,as they appeared to do, that the Borough Council could not do without the Gas Company, that the Borough was hound to use their gas in the streets, and pay whatever was asked, lie was sure that Company could afford to make a reduction, and the more so as the extension of mains to supply street lamps enabled the Company to obtain more private consumers. They had made 15 per cent., and lie heard could have made 18 pei 1 cent. The Company therefore should not be hard upon the Council. Or. Jackson apcT.o for. omc time in ibis straiU; undeaid he could no:: help uotiemg that the Councillors ■> lie desired that the Gas Company’s terms should he accepted. were shared udders in the Ocm-

jUiKV. not man? ,i,5 per cent. h.-.t ycui. Bere 1 1 :iVidi''(.is mail to oo taken from tnc reserve fund to make up that dividend. Cr Bush moved., and Cr Cnbitos seconded an amend' wnt tc Cr -Shepherd's met;on, to the ascot dm’ a* tec Gas Company had refuser: hue of cr or A 7 Iks pci lamp, and it had been el:own that IT.OC a year could bo '’faceted by resorting .to korcscnc, tenders to he Called at per lamp, for lighting, cleaning; .vc., and supplying with here sane the street lamp" B r twelve, months^ The Mayer thcxg.K wcuu. ;r. c ab mi £]oo to un.k' the mm: re a the lamps Horn gus D> k&ioscee. Cr Du: I: liumgiu .!!'?/> would dc It. lie conaidcrcci Ike uaic Company wmc simpiy imposing on lire Lcrong:;. «,ud "s aoih;gcf,d,bG v/as pcseibw k: he.d it y/:-.;. t.ke;: i.uty o make .t. ah:.n.t ti.c Xr- ' cup....;, ant. me maid the mm.m-T 'hat Dm ;r I ;:::p was tiiv. wlsi'le pv..j.m tho Jompaay could make. TV- Company ...ad not come to the conclusion to raise the price in a hurry ; if it had not beau for himself and the Mayor the notice tlw*y had received would have been .sent in six months sooner, but tiiey had persuaded the directors to postpone it. Cr Jackson had no right to charge the Company with taking advantage of their monopoly as he would himself be ready enough to do a like thing. |Hc had once, on the occasion of a “coal famine,” when lie was the only holder of coals, raised the price uOs a ton. Cr Jackson—And I have bought coals at £5 and sold them at £i).

Or Gibson—Tl.cn you must have been out of your mind. 1 know yon would not sell coals to the Borough cheaper than you do to anyone else, even if it would benefit the whole of the people. It would, he continued, be the height of absurdity to go hack to kerosene ; the breakages would soon make up the difference in cost, and in stormy weather, when lightas most needed, half the lamps would be blown out. Tbe fact of the streets being cut.up with trenches for putting down the water pipes was a reason why they should be well lighted now. If they had to pay compensation for a few broken limbs they would find their saving very wasteful. It scorned to him that some of the Councillors were trying to win a little cheap popularity by bringing these charges against the Gas Company, and thereby implicating the Councfllors who happened to be shareholders. It was not a question as between the Council and the Company, but as to whether the Borough could not afford to pay the price asked for gas. If they could not oiford to pay tho value of the thing they should not .seek to get it. The gas works were not erected to benefit tbe Borough, but as a business speculation. As a member of the Company bo did not want the Borough to burn’the gas as a charity to them ; but at all events he would not like them to take the retrogade step of going back fo kerosene.

The Town Clerk, in reply to Cr. Gibson, said the cost of street lighting in Tiinaru was much lower than elsewhere, in cases where the Corporations did not own the works, but. bought the gas, In cases where Corpnraliousjownsd works tiie coat was stated to bo so very much lower that ho was inclined to think some error or misunderstanding existed. Cr Boss said they were not there a> shareholders or non-shareholders of the Gas Company. They had nothing to do with tho question of the Company’s profits. They simply had to do the best for the Borough, and he thought it was paying too dear for their whistle to pay TSOO a year for street lighting. The Mayor pointed out that according to the returns they had received gas was supplied hpre cheaper than anywhere else ip Xew Zealand. Or “Bilima’ showed that tho -new charge proposed was only Js per lamp more than the old one, and as they had paid that without complaint they might be able to economise to that extent bylighting the lamps on fewer nights per month.

The Mayor said the mistake was made in the past when the Corporation had a chapes to acquire the works, and neglected it. A special Bill would now bc^reqaired to enable them to purchase. O Bush objected to Cr Gibson’s remarks about Councillors seeking a cheap popularity. He did not like to hear a Councillor talking such ridiculous stub. He din not p<gr.p roy popularity hiq.se’d , i.fc Was there to do wnat ne donkl for the ratepayers. Cr Jackson also repudiated the charge, and Cr Shepherd repudiated Cr Jackson's implied charge that the shareholding Councillors upheld the Gas Company because they wyyc, sharei.oldcis.

Or Busli asked leave vr. withdraw his amendment, but this being objected to, it was put and lost, Crs Bus!), Gabitcs, and Jackson only voting for it. Cr Jackson moved and Or Boss seconded —“That ;117 Tvs per lamp be olfcred, ten moonlight righG ur? munkj to bo c:odu.,iiiu.

The Mayor pom ted rut lm;i that exactly thq present arrangement as moonlight night*, He oaJil assn.-a them that the otter would not be accepted. The Company would not abate one jot of their demand. Cr Gibson said it looked v> ry line huckstering to n.ake inch o.yeiy wly i they woqid not iy; accepted. The •up n rdmeu( was p,i;t and lost, r'iimc, pmpmvo .. ’ n.tliv; mnc.jd uionl- that me iir,Viii.-c - i on oigiy.'s v-,u gbttu. Ik. itu*r- a-cd. :v; to ’core;, the tec t..m.:;,olcry did r. jitylo

It was ultimately resolved to ask the Gas Company what they would charge for lighting the lamps as heretofore, but deducting 12 instead of 10 moonlight nights per month. extension or the nonouoH. Cr Gibson moved and Cr Shepherd seconded “That no steps be taken in the matter of a survey for the purpose of: extending the Borough or the water supply.” Cr Gibson said he moved this because at the last ordinary meeting the Works Committee was authorised to get a survey of the suburbs made with a view to further steps being taken to have the Borough extended. Ho had since seen a petition which was in course o'. signature objecting to such an extension, and he therefore thought it injudicious to go to any expense, fie was dead against the water supply being extended unless extension of the Borough preceded it. At the next ordinary meeting his notice •-C action relating to this subject would come up, and he’intended to ask leave when the time came tc withdraw it The Mayor said that knowing- the rurion that was being h,.k i. by the coo tc be cl -.all wit,';- :;1 tins ;■] - c,.C mcctmg, ?; .-comer, to lx the ipcr.eesi on of. the cuteiclx t- at the hoixxry simply wanted to get them hcciitucd so that they could r ugc i ti.em. Ti is y ,\r. a great ,-,nk It for some .-.mp per purpe; o. The c-my benehl: tho Borough would derive froir. taking in the cnburls v. cr-d he Ikrrrgb their taking water, and rc reducing the water rate . as t' ordinary expense;-,, ti c outsiders would prove ' gre.-.t d-cg :1b toe wcrr.eil took :.c Bert ii; . cut aid ore would presently wme tc form a eepwate • iy'crpOjr.Lc;.. ii-i :.e; not see aby the Borough should go lx any expense, A letter had that :l::y appeared in tiio So-tTh C.'v TwfE:- ; in \-iiuh the writer, v/hilo trying to put tlx j ion jn a favor dm; light to k Tax .ot e: that a ; . : guOj .oi.,.er would he rr.rcd u i: the i.-i dao would pay Cl- a ; oar; out this \.-uS great mistake; as properties wc.e never laied up to their value. Such a property would only be rained at AGO, and the rates would be only a shilling for town rates, a shilling fur repayment of interest on loan, and, at the outside, twopence or threepence for water, making a total of 2s 2d 2s hd in the £, or £G 15s a year. In the present state of feeling on the subject outside the Borough it would be foil}' to go to any trouble and expense about bringing in the outside. They should’give them time to cool down, and they would presently see that it would be to their advantage, and not to the advantage of the Borough, to come in. The Borough had valuable endowments while the suburbs had not a qaarter-acrc section, and be did not think they could get any. The only decent streets in the suburbs were Cross, Wilson, and LeCren street, for which the residents along them had been especially rated 2s in the £, and these streets wore not lit to walk along in wet weather, His opinion was that financially the extension would- be a great drag upon the Borough. Cr Koss said a handle had been made of a remark made by the Mayor at the last meeting—that the extension would lighten tho rates of the town. The Mayor—l said it would lessen j the water rates, but it would increase j and not diminish the general rates. ! Cr Bush agreed that no expense 1 should be incurred rc tkc proposed extension. As to the weight of the water rate, they need not fret about that. As the town increased tho rate would decrease.

Ci' Gibson’s motion was then put and curried unanimously, and the Council rose, at lire minutes to «leven.